Epidemic
by zizzy333
Summary: How can you fight what you can’t see? Danny has only five days to save Sam from the deadly virus that's infected Amity Park... but is it enough time to save himself?
1. The First Case

~*~*~*~

Epidemic

~*~*~*~

"Now does anybody want to share what their thoughts were on the fog scene in last nights reading?" Mr. Lancer asked, looking around his class and idly waving his heavily used and annotated Huckleberry Finn. He received a few blank stares, but most people were looking down at pages of notes of their desk. Lancer was too realistic to hope for a second they were English notes.

He sighed, and then slapped his book down on his desk, sending a resounding _whap!_ through the room. He goal of startling his students to attention failed. Only a handful bothered to look up before starting to flip through their notes again.

He tried another technique, and resolved not to talk until maybe one of the students realized it was unnaturally quite. He crossed his arms and leaned against his desk casually, glaring lazily out at his students. A minute passed. Finally one student looked up, blinking. He looked remarkably as if he had been awoken from a deep sleep. Then another looked up. They both looked dazed.

Finally Mr. Lancer exclaimed, "did anybody bother to do the reading?!" A few more heads glanced up, as if the sudden sound after the ringing silence startled them. He decided to pick on a few. "Mr. Baxter? Miss Hollingsworth? Mr. Foley?" Their necks all craned up from the notebooks in front of them, and then sheepishly shook their heads.

Lancer sighed through grinding teeth, and looked around his classroom. He remarkably had more attention now that he had broke away from his normal class plan. "Did _anybody_ do the reading?"

Nobody moved, so he assumed the worst. He realized it was pointless to teach a passage if nobody had bothered to read it. "What subject is the test in Mr. Lee?" He asked.

A boy named Jeremiah jumped, being caught red handed, but nevertheless answered. "US History."

"Ah." Mr. Lancer nodded knowingly. He had a suspicion. "Is this THE US History test?"

Jeremiah nodded, and glanced awkwardly between his notes and Mr. Lancer, torn at where to look since Lancer called him out. Mr. Lancer walked slowly around his desk, and sat back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. He saw several students looking at him curiously. "Go back to your studying. I understand that if you fail this test, you have to retake the course?"

At being reminded of this, his class went back to their notes, and he received some of the most grateful looks from his students that he would receive all year. He knew how it worked by this point.

In all of his years of teaching, he had finally realized when to give up… and though rare, this was one of those days. Though annoyed, there was nothing he could do to make his students pay attention, even if he took all of their notes and threw them in the trash. He swiveled his desk chair around, and mentally prepared himself to let his students study for a different class for the last half of the period.

---

By the time the bell rang to let out English, Sam had very nearly given up hope on ever passing the US History class. She looked over at her two best friends. They looked like they were about to pull their hair out, and were still pouring over pages of writing. Tucker's eyes were bloodshot while Danny was mumbling quietly to himself.

She was able to decipher words when he raised his voice in to a panicky question. "Shoot… shoot! I don't have any notes on the Johnson administration! Who was he? What did he do?"

"War on poverty," Tucker mumbled back, waving his hand to shut him up. "Foreign policy made him fail domestic… policy…" Tucker trailed off, reading a different part of his notes.

"What was his foreign policy?!" Danny asked hoarsely, finally looking up at his notes and sending a wide-eyed look at Sam.

"He was the one that started sending in troops to Vietnam. We need to go," she reminded, standing up and sliding her notes into her book bag.

Tucker moaned something unintelligible. Seeing that soon they would be the only ones left in Lancer's room, Sam took the initiative. With Danny being closest, she closed his notes and tucked his books under her arm. Grabbing him by his ear, she dragged him out of his seat.

"Ow!" He cried, subconsciously grabbing his backpack and dragging it behind him.

"Wait…" Tucker muttered monotonously, picking up his notes and bag to follow behind the pair, his nose still buried deep in his binder.

Lancer, reading his book, only looked up briefly, and going back to his book, said, "It's good of you to keep those two in check."

Sam laughed humorlessly. "I don't know what they would do without me," she said deadpan, passing her teachers desk. She went out the front door, with Danny trying to pry Sam's grip off his ear as he reached for his notes. Tucker followed behind, gently bumping into the wall next to the door before finding his way out, meanwhile never lifting his eyes from his notes. Mr. Lancer only raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Strange, strange children."

---

Out in the hall, Sam let go of Danny's ear for his dignity, but still kept his notes out of reach.

"Sam!" He cried out in frustration, trying to reach around her for his notes. "Can you please let me cram for like two more seconds? I really need to pass this class!"

Sam rolled her eyes, but threw his binder back at him. "I doubt that any information you learn in the next minute will be the difference between a passing and a failing grade. I've personally given it up to fate, now."

Danny muttered, while flipping through his notes, "Well that's _your _preference… not mine. Fate's been known to be against me whenever possible." Tucker snorted from somewhere behind them.

Sam looked over Danny. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was more messed up than usual. He looked like he was about to crack from the stress, and she also noticed for the first time he was walking with a slight limp.

"Ghost last night?" She asked sympathetically.

Danny replied without looking up from his notes, finally having found his page. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"You have a limp," Sam stated bluntly. Danny glanced up at her for a moment at that, but then looked back down.

"He caught me off guard. I'll be fine."

Sam continued to look at Danny, but he refused to meet her gaze. Sighing, she looked down the hall towards the history classroom. That's when it happened.

"Oh my God," a girl exclaimed behind them. "Oh my _God_!"

"Somebody get the nurse!" Another voice called. "Call 911!"

That caught everybody's attention. As one, everybody within ear shot turned towards the commotion, including Sam, Danny, and Tucker. Looking between the figures, Sam could just see two people she didn't know kneeling over somebody laying on the ground, convulsing.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed turning to him wide eyed, as the crowd pressed in on the disturbance.

With his binder still open in his hands, he looked away from the boy and looked back at her. "What?"

"You have to help him!" She cried.

"What?!" He exclaimed, looking at her like she was insane. Sam saw as Danny looked between her and towards the panic and back again. "I can deal with ghosts… but with this?" He shook his head.

Sam opened her mouth disbelievingly. "You mean you're going to just sit there?!"

She watched as Danny's face took on a defensive edge. "Well, what am I supposed to do, Sam? I can fight ghosts, but I'm no doctor."

Sam opened her mouth to reply, but the bell cut her off. Danny jumped at the noise. "We're late!" He exclaimed, snapping his forgotten notes closed. He grabbed Sam and Tucker. "There's nothing we can do. It's best if we just got out of the way," Danny advised, his eyes already set on the history classroom only a few doors down.

Sam couldn't believe Danny was so ready to just let what was happening in front of them go. "But there _are_ ways you can help!" She said, getting irritated. "He needs to go to the hospital! _You_ can get him there the fastest!" She said, silently accusing him.

Danny sent her a look over his shoulder, "but then we'd be even more late for the test! I _need_ to pass this class, Sam!"

She could have slapped him. Sam wrenched her arm out of his grasp just before they got to the room. "_Danny_!" She called one last time. He just looked back at her, eyebrows furrowed, and continued to walk into the classroom with out her.

Sam just stood there fuming. After the three years Danny had been fighting to keep the public safe, she was amazed at how uncompassionate he could still be. She looked back. There were less people gathered around the boy now, and she saw the plump little school nurse rushing down the hallway.

The boy had fallen deathly still. He looked like he was just a freshman. There was a girl kneeling over him crying. When the nurse got close enough, the girl said, "I don't know what happened! I knew he was feeling sick… but then all of the sudden he just…" she started sobbing as the nurse pushed her away. The nurse felt for a pulse, and Sam watched closely. The nurse nodded, and told the girl to meet her in her office. Then she whipped out a cell phone.

As frustrated as Sam was with Danny, she hated him even more because she couldn't help. If he didn't want to help, then there wasn't much she could do either. She exhaled sharply, and turned back to the history classroom. She swore to herself that as soon as the test was over, she would walk over to Danny and give him a good beating.

---

To Be Continued…

---

A/N: I shouldn't be writing this. I have to apply to college. But sometimes I can't help myself.

I'm not quite finished with it yet… maybe a little less than half way through. I'm hoping this story won't be too terribly long, just kinda longish medium.

Review if you want me to continue! Warning: it keeps getting darker from here on out!


	2. The Fight

Previously…

"_Call 911!" Looking between the figures, Sam could just see two people she didn't know kneeling over somebody laying on the ground, convulsing. _

"_Danny! You have to help him!" She cried._

"_What?!" He exclaimed. "What am I supposed to do, Sam? I can fight ghosts, but I'm no doctor."_

"_He needs to go to the hospital! You can get him there the fastest!"_

"_But then we'd be even more late for the test! I need to pass this class, Sam!" _

_As frustrated as Sam was with Danny, she hated him even more because she couldn't help. If he didn't want to help, then there wasn't much she could do either. She exhaled sharply, and turned back to the history classroom. She swore to herself that as soon as the test was over, she would walk over to Danny and give him a good beating._

---

Epidemic

---

It didn't quite work out the way she had hoped. As soon as the test was over the entire class was so brain dead that they piled out into the hallway like zombies. No one spoke as they were whisked away in the bustling crowd.

Out of habit, Sam found herself walking next to Danny towards lunch, but as soon as she realized it she sped up her pace. Soon there was a large gap between her and Danny and Tuck, and she continued to widen it. However, when she approached the principal's office she found herself slowing down. The nurse's office was in there as well.

She wanted to know how the freshman was doing, considering she found herself feeling guilty that she couldn't have helped. She knew it wasn't logical to feel like it was her fault, but she wasn't very used to dealing with situations that were out of her control, with being a ghost hunter. She had slowed down to a crawl while she was thinking, and she finally made her decision. She turned and entered the office.

As Danny and Tucker slowly started to come out of their testing sleep, they watched Sam walk into the office. "Why do you think she's going in there?" Danny asked Tucker.

Tucker looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "You know just as well as I do."

Danny looked over at his friend and then back to his feet, sighing. "What was I supposed to do Tuck? It's not like it's my job to save _everybody_ from _everything_ all the time!" Tucker didn't look at him, or have a response back, so Danny took it as an opportunity to continue to defend himself. "I deal with the ghosts because I'm the one most qualified to do it, but that's it! I leave robbers up to the police, and I leave medical stuff up to the medics. You know what I mean?"

Tucker just shrugged, shaking his head, and said, "just keep me out of this, dude. All I want is some meat."

Danny looked at his friend for a few moments, and then looked away again, shaking his head.

---

Sam closed the office door gently behind her, and glanced over at the receptionist at the front desk. The ancient woman didn't even bother to look up at her, but was riffling through some papers.

Sam looked back over to the nurses closed office door, and walked over to it, the carpet muffling the sound of her combat boots. She knocked gently, and when no one answered, she pushed open the door carefully.

The plump nurse jumped and swiveled around in her chair. She put her hand over her chest, and said, "Oh! Sweetie you scared the bejesus out of me!" She had a slight southern twang.

"Oh, sorry…" Sam said awkwardly.

"Come in, come in, what can I do for you today?" She asked with a rather forced cheeriness.

Sam stepped in, not bothering to close the door behind her. "I was just wondering if that boy that came in here earlier was okay."

The fake cheeriness melted off the nurse's face. She sighed, turned back to her desk, and started straightening papers. "I'm technically not supposed to tell you, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

Sam looked at the red bun on back of her head and asked it, "Did he have to go to the hospital?"

The nurse turned back to her, the strained smile back in place. "Now, now. It's nice to know that you care, but I don't want you starting any rumors. That's the last thing we need here. He'll be fine, sweetheart. Just run off and tell everybody that, okay deary?"

Sam nodded, realizing that she probably wasn't going to get much more information than that. "Alright. Thank you," she said and backed out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

---

Danny and Tucker watched as Sam entered the cafeteria from their usual table. She didn't even look over at them. Danny looked back at Tucker, stopping his milk carton's progress to his mouth. "Did I honestly make her _that_ mad?"

"When she comes over here, just apologize," suggested Tucker through a full mouth of burger.

Danny felt the familiar warnings of anger boiling up at the comment. "Why should I?" He asked, putting down his milk and looking at his friend. "Why is it that when ever something goes wrong, _I'm_ the one that has to deal with it? Can't I just be the person in the crowd sometimes too?"

Tucker put up his hands in peace and swallowed. "Don't take it out on me! If you want to defend yourself, vent it to Sam." Danny glowered down at his undercooked French fries. Finally he rested his head on his hand, and started picking through the fries, trying to find an edible one.

He was still doing searching when Sam sat down next to Tucker. Tucker looked up at her, but Danny didn't bother. "We saw you go into the office." Tucker commented.

Sam didn't look up from her meal, but grumbled back, "Yeah, I asked the nurse about the guy. She wouldn't tell me anything."

The rest of the lunch period was pretty much spent in silence. Tucker tried at the beginning to make conversation with awkward questions that neither replied to, and then progressed into a monologue about the new software just released for his PDA, to which neither of them listened.

Sam was too busy realizing that Danny wasn't blubbering out an apology and trying to make up for whatever he did as he did usually when she got mad at him, and Danny was wondering what exactly Sam took him for. Wasn't saving the city from ghost daily enough for her standards? Was he also responsible for the lives that were lost in the war, or in the next city just because he had the power that could have prevented them? Wasn't he already sacrificing enough for the world?

When the bell rang, Sam dashed ahead of them to throw away her lunch while Danny and Tucker were still rising out of their seats. Danny glared after her, as Tucker rounded the table to stand next to him. "I'm not going to apologize," Danny stated.

"I've noticed," Tucker replied deadpan, as they walked towards the trashcans.

---

Sam was able to avoid Danny for most of the day, but she knew that a blow out was inevitable. It knocked her slightly off balance that he seemed to be mad at _her_, but she knew Danny. He could never hold a grudge against her for much longer than a day. She on the other hand could hold one much longer.

Sure enough Danny approached her at her locker at the end of the school day. She closed her locker door, and his face greeted her from behind it. "Can we move past this please?" He asked sounding irritated. She didn't bother to turn to him. "There was nothing I could do that the proper authorities couldn't. It's in the past now. Can we move on with our lives or are you going to drag this out?"

She glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "Maybe, if you hadn't come to me already sounding like a jerk. Now you've gotten me angry again," she said rather calmly, but her body language conveyed her true feelings.

Danny leaned heavily against the lockers, his arms crossed, never taking his eyes off of her. "What do you expect, Sam? An apology? Because you're not getting one."

Sam turned to him, her eyes shooting daggers. "Don't apologize to me! I wasn't the one you left stranded out in a hallway! I just wish you would show at least a little remorse… you never even bothered to ask if he was okay!"

Danny stood up a little taller, and uncrossed his arms, leaning forward. "I was too angry at you for trying to shovel more onto my plate!" He growled pointing an accusing finger in her face. "I already have more than I can handle with the whole ghost thing! Yet you still think it is my responsibility for every single little thing that goes wrong!"

Sam glared at him, and trying to avoid attracting attention, whispered furiously, "See!? That's what I'm talking about! You take this poor freshman's situation and twist it to make it seem about you!"

Danny tried to cut her off but she talked over him, as he tried to talk over her.

"I'm not making it about me! You're the one—"

"You save lives but it's at time like this when I question—"

"that seems to be blowing it up into this huge deal, when it's—"

"your compassion! Are you doing it for them or are you doing it—"

"GUYS!" Tucker yelled over their escalating argument. They both sharply turned their heads to him, freezing mid gesture. "Can you at least take this some where more private?" He asked taking in few people that had stopped what they were doing to watch. They immediately started moving again as soon Tucker spotted them.

Sam hadn't realized how close she had come to making it physical. Danny was standing only inches from her, looking down at her with the height advantage and still with a finger raised as if it would prove his point. She was nearly on tiptoe to get as close to his face as possible, trying to break his personal space bubble, looking up defiantly with her hands balled into fists and pinned to her sides. Her muscles were coiled as if she was getting ready to punch him. Danny looked back down at her at the same time she looked up again and as one, they took a giant step backwards, both crossing their arms protectively.

They both glared at each other for a moment longer and then Danny mumbled, "I'm leaving," and then he was gone.

"Oh sure! Why couldn't you have pulled that one earlier, huh?!" Sam yelled into the air, causing her to receive a few strange looks. Tucker put his hands on her back and pushed her out of the school before she did anything else she might regret.

---

TBC…

Sorry this is late. I like to update once a week, but you know how life is sometimes…

I felt like I had to type some more and actually plan out the story before I could feel safe posting this. This story is going to be great fun. I'm really enjoying writing it. Next chapter is when things start getting crazy!

So, this week is exam week so I'm not sure if there will but an update, but after that…. SENIOR SLUMP HERE I COME! I've been waiting to be a second semester senior since first semester freshman year. Yesss.

Thanks to my first reviewers!

**Ecokitty, AnneriaWings, DrendeSalkash, Starhunterz, zafiro, and Im-paranormal33!!!**

You will always hold a special place in my heart. Until I forget. But until then… 3

Reviews help motivate me!


	3. Fatal

Since it's been three months since I last updated, here is a detailed previously.

_So right before a US history test that could determine whether or not they pass the class, a kid collapses in the hallway, obviously sick. Sam urges Danny to take him to the hospital, but Danny tells her that he only deals with ghosts, and he really needs to pass the class. Sam is furious. Danny never even bothers to ask if the kid is okay. She starts to question Danny's compassion, and Danny can't believe that Sam wants him to save everybody from everything. They fight, and Danny leaves, angry. _

**---**

**Epidemic**

**---**

Jazz was worried. As soon as Danny had gotten home from school, he fumed up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door shut, which meant him and Sam had gotten into another fight. She sighed, knowing the process too well and left him to his own mopings for a while, before seeing if he wanted to talk about it.

In the next hour, she chatted online with some of her new college friends, continued working on a research paper on the biology of psychology that was due at the end of the year, and ate a bowl of cereal as a snack.

Then she closed her laptop, washed out her bowl in the sink, and carefully went upstairs to confront her brother. She knocked gently on his door. There was no answer, so she let herself in. Danny was lying on his bed, with his hands behind his head, staring gloomily up at the dark ceiling. His eyes rolled down when the door creaked open though, and followed Jazz's progress to his desk chair before looking back up at the ceiling.

"Don't you ever get tired of hearing my problems?" He asked somewhat cynically.

Jazz rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? You're my most interesting specimen," she joked.

Danny snorted. "I bet," he replied, unsmiling.

Jazz looked at him for a moment. He was obviously upset. "Want to talk about it?" She asked.

Her brother exhaled slowly. "It's just Sam again."

Jazz was grateful that Danny didn't see the slight smile that appeared on her face. "What is it this time," she asked.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I think that she thinks that I can just make everything better with my powers, you know?" Jazz didn't reply, seeing if he would continue, which he did. "But I can't! There was this guy- a freshman- who started having some sort of seizure in the middle of the hallway, and Sam wanted me to fly him to the hospital… but we had that US test and I couldn't afford to be late… and now she's acting like he's died, and I'm to blame! It's just ridiculous!"

However, Jazz stopped her physiological analysis at "seizure." She jerked her head up to look at him. "So it's hit your school too?"

Danny tore his eyes away from the ceiling to look at her. "What?"

Jazz's eyes had a far away look to them. "If they don't figure out what is causing this, it could be the start of an epidemic…" she mumbled.

"Wait- what could be the start of an epidemic? That freshman?" Danny asked, sitting up.

"It's been all over the news, Danny," Jazz said, shooting a look at her little brother.

"You know I don't watch the news… what's going on?" He asked, looking intensely at her.

She finally pulled herself back to the present. "People are getting sick. Really sick. The doctor's have never seen anything like it before, and everybody that's been infected is getting worse. If they don't find a cure soon, or at least some way to prevent it, this could turn into something nasty fast."

Danny scrunched up his nose. "That's the last thing I need right now. I hope the freshman isn't sick with _that_. Then Sam might have a legitimate excuse to be mad at me fore not bringing him to the hospital sooner."

Jazz stood up, and ruffled her brother's hair affectionately. "Don't worry. You and Sam will work it out. You always do."

---

The next day in school, the sickness was all anyone would talk about. Danny had already learned a lot just from passing conversation. Apparently the freshman's name was Ben, and he did indeed have the virus. Danny winced. When he got to his locker, Tucker was already waiting there for him, clicking furiously on his PDA.

He looked up gravely at Danny when he set down his bag. "Read this," he insisted and held out his PDA. Danny took it and read from the middle of article from the local newspaper's website.

_For the past week, people have been pouring into hospitals all over the area having seizures and fainting spells for no apparent reason. When further investigated, the doctors were baffled. They had never seen anything like it. _

_During a press release, the head professor Dr. J. Williams M.D. of the local John Hopkins College admitted, "It's very unusual to see a virus this powerful. It seems to be completely taking the life out of the cell before destroying it, and instead of creating thousands reproductions like other virus's do, it seems to builds up energy until it can be released in painful convulsions, meanwhile only producing a few hundred of it's own kind. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before." _

_The professionals have named it R3H5, but the public has already dubbed it "The Epidemic." So far, there have been no deaths, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is keeping a close eye on Amity Park as the disease progresses_.

Though there was more on describing the symptoms and the development of the virus, Danny only skimmed over it, not really taking it in. He looked up to see Sam peering at the article over his shoulder. He hadn't noticed her arrival.

"I hope it isn't too contagious," Sam mumbled, but at that moment, screams erupted from down the hallway. Everybody in the hall froze, and turned to watch what was happening.

A senior had fallen into one of her friend's arms, shaking uncontrollably. Her friend lowered her down to the ground as she had her fit, crying out.

"Jesus!" Somebody exclaimed at the convulsing girl. "She's got the virus!"

Instead of like the day before, when everybody crowded around, now everyone shut their lockers and nearly ran either to their classroom or to the bathroom.

Danny looked over at Sam, neither of them having moved, but she just stared at the scene in front of them warily. He looked back at the senior and saw a way to fix the tension between him and Sam.

He started to take a step forward, but Sam grabbed onto his arm. "Wait…" she said hesitatingly. He looked back at her confused. "The last thing I need on my conscious is getting you sick over some stupid argument. Let's get out of here," she said, pulling him back.

Danny stopped, letting his arm fall from her grasp. She looked back at him. His expression seemed confused at her sudden change of heart, as if he was not able to keep up. Sam grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. "Come on," she said, and they walked away from the scene.

After that moment, Sam and Danny were made up. They went to English together to find Tucker sitting in his seat already, looking shifty eyed. As the two of them sat down, he pulled out two baby wipes from his bag and handed them to Danny and Sam. Danny, still looking a little confused and Sam looking amused, they wiped off their hands.

"So Tuck, do you carry around baby wipes often?" Sam mocked, and Tucker gave her a deadpan look just as Mr. Lancer got up to start class.

---

In the class period before lunch rumors were already flying through the halls and scribbled in hurried notes. Even Sam found herself flicking Danny a note. Sam watched as Danny eyed the Physics teacher as he unfolded the note, and then quickly let his eyes scan across it as the teacher's back was turned.

_Did you hear that conversation in the hall? They were saying three more people have collapsed during their classes. _

Danny bit his lip, and scrawled an answer back, which Sam was able to read from her desk.

_Yuck. School is like the perfect breeding ground for these kinds of sicknesses. Pretty soon the whole school will _

However, before he could finish, Ms. Ishyima's voice came to life over the intercom. "Would Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Knotts, Ms. Nixon, Ms. Manson, and Mr. Bicks please report to the office. Bring all of your supplies to go home. Thank you."

Danny's pencil stopped. The message echoed eerily down the hallways. Sam felt Danny and Tucker's eyes on her. Though confused, she shrugged and shoved all of her books into her bag, standing up. Paullina mirrored her actions a few rows ahead. "Hey, anything to get out of class," she whispered. Then the intercom came on again, this time with angry voices in the background.

"I'm sorry. Would Mr. Baxter, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Bright, Mr. Foley, Ms. Rei— yes, alright- Ms. Reily, Mr. Vector, Mr.—alright! I heard you! Mr.—" the background noise was starting to drown the principals voice out. They could hear phones ringing off the hook. Finally, a yelled, "please hold on a moment," and then the intercom switched off again.

Sam froze and Danny looked over at Tucker. The entire class started murmuring. Sam sat back down. "Are all of these parents here to take their kids out of school?" She asked quietly.

"I bet they've finally realized how contagious the virus is," Tucker replied grimly, looking at the teacher with such intensity that Sam knew that he was silently trying to measure how much trouble he would be in if he were to take out his PDA.

Danny fiddled with the pencil in his hands subconsciously. "I still don't understand why everybody is freaking out. Yeah getting sick sucks… but you get over it, right?"

That's when the intercom clicked on again. The angry voices were gone. "If I may have your attention please. We've just gotten a call from the United States Health Department with orders to close down the school." A few people started to cheer, but when the rest of the class didn't follow they hushed up. The atmosphere was tense. "All schools that have been infected with the R3H5 are shutting down until further notice. Please remember to wash your hands and keep healthy practices. The usual busses are outside to take you home. You are dismissed."

There was silence.

The teacher clapped his hands together. "Well. I guess you can go then." With his approval, the whole class got up to put their things away, muttering to one another. Danny stuffed everything into his bag in one swoop, and then turned to Sam. "What's going on?" He asked, slightly awed while handing Sam her book. She just shook her head.

Sam picked up her bag, and they both turned to Tucker, who hadn't moved. He was staring at his PDA, his mouth hanging open. "What? What is it?" Sam asked, as she and Danny immediately took their places reading over Tucker's shoulders.

However, he dropped his hand and turned to look at them. After a pause, he finally said, "It's been deemed extremely contagious, and they don't know what's causing it."

"Yeah, we already knew that," Danny said, rolling his eyes and adjusting his backpack. "Let's go."

"It's fatal." Danny and Sam froze, their eyes going wide. "Everybody who's had it has died within a week of the first symptom."

---

TBC…

Oh this is going to be good… I can't wait. I'm going to be so evil. I'll keep posting.

**Review replies! **

**My Name Is Ella**- Yeah, I tried to show both of their point of views, but I feel Danny's is more legitimate. And I didn't think of that high speed factor… hahaha. And Danny is pretty wrapped around Sam's finger, but he doesn't know it yet. :D

**Donteatacowman**- great pen name, first off, and once again, yeah, Danny's point is pretty good. And you just wait... there's going to be nothing symbolic about the epidemic that's about to hit. And it's pre-PP, because it's more fun that way. :)

**Horseluvr14-** I doubt that you'll be saying "no prob if it's delayed" now… that was a long "delay." Haha

**Dragondancer123**- First off, thanks! I try to keep them original, and the kidnapping story isn't exactly on hiatus- I'm just having problems fixing a major story flaw right now… and I haven't worked on it too much. But that might change as I get more free time- maybeeee…

**RiellyPhantom-** Well, the fighting didn't continue that much further on, obviously. :) Sorry for the long wait.

Reviews make my life complete.


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